Case Number 13238

MAFIOSO: CRITERION COLLECTION

The Charge

"But if you wish...you can say no. Will you say no?"

Opening Statement

The best Mafia movie you never heard of.

Facts of the Case

Mafioso is the story of Antonio Badalamenti, Nino to his friends and
family. Having for years failed to take any real time off work, Nino finally
decides it's time to have a well-earned break, and take his wife and two
daughters on a two-week vacation from industrial Milan to the calmness of his
homeland of Sicily. Before leaving he is asked by a colleague and fellow
Sicilian if he would personally deliver a package to Don Vincenzo, the local
godfather who everyone in Nino's hometown knows and loves.

Having not been back to Sicily in over eight years, Nino sees the vacation
as an opportunity for his wife and children to meet his family and for him to
get back in touch with his roots. Of course, his wife, Marta, is very much a
modern woman and, as such, is used to the sophistication of big-city life and
struggles to adapt to Sicilian ways; his family aren't particularly taken by her
either.

Always maintaining a wide-eyed enthusiasm, Nino does his utmost to smooth
things over between his families, but unbeknownst to him a far greater problem
lies ahead. Don Vincenzo has an offer to make Nino, but is it one Nino can
refuse?

The Evidence

One of the great advantages of writing for DVD Verdict is being able to view
films I otherwise might never have heard of. While some of these titles prove to
be worthy of their lack of exposure, there are those that make me question just
how they aren't widely acclaimed as being the masterpieces they truly are and a
benchmark for others to aim for. Released in 1962, Mafioso is a film that
I, and it would seem many, have been completely unaware of, in large part
because the movie hasn't been seen since its original 1964 theatrical run in the
States. Thanks to the Criterion release of Alberto Lattuada's classic, that will
hopefully change and the film will get the widespread acclaim it deserves.

Now, there are two words in the previous paragraph that are handed out all
too often to films unworthy of such acclaim: masterpiece and classic. While I
know it's very easy to get caught up in the moment and make exuberant statements
minutes after watching a film, I can safely say, without hesitation or fear of
regret, that Mafioso is worthy of such accolades. Truly, this is
masterful filmmaking from director Alberto Lattuada working with an exemplary
screenplay from writers Marco Ferreri, Rafael Azcona, Agenore Incrocci, and
Furio Scarpelli.

The son of composer Felice Lattuada, the young Alberto had originally
trained to be an architect, yet always maintained a deep love of film. Having
already helped start Italy's first film archive, Lattuada eventually began
making his own movies. Working with Fellini on Variety Lights, Lattuada
revealed his real talent to the world and also offered a theme that would run
through Mafioso and other movies he would go on to make, that which he
would call his main theme: the isolation of the individual, attempting to pursue
a glimmer of happiness in the face of society's opposing pressures to
conform.

Beginning in the Milanese car factory where he serves as foreman, we first
meet Nino as, stopwatch in hand speaking with a tone of authority, he instructs
one of the workers on the exact timing required to produce the best results from
his work. Racing from factory floor to office, Nino is every bit the
personification of the industrialized northern Italian. He rushes home, past the
imposing architecture and street noise of the big city, and we eventually get to
meet Nino's family: his wife Marta and two young daughters, Cinzia and Caterina.
Sticking to a rigid schedule to ensure they get to Sicily as early as possible,
the Badalementis are a hive of activity as they finalize their packing before
heading off to the train station which will take them to the ferry port.

It's when the Badalementis are on the ferry crossing to Sicily, that Nino's
roots begin to show. While his wife shows sorrow as she watches Italy "fade
away," Nino is like a child at Christmas, looking across the waters as his
beloved homeland draws ever closer; a weight has been lifted from his shoulders
and his face no longer wears the seriousness it had when we first met him in the
film's opening. His enthusiasm is infectious and, though we can clearly see from
the first scene that he shares with his wife and children that he dearly loves
them, we can see that work and the pace of life in Milan mean he doesn't get the
time to relax with them that he yearns for. Finally, able to shed his
professional demeanor, Nino is at long last able to be himself. That his
happiness is to be short-lived, that his enthusiasm will be crushed so greatly
by the time the closing credits roll, adds a sense of sadness to these scenes on
repeated screenings that is never once considered on the initial viewing.

Before the film walks the darker path that Act Three throws up, we are
treated to something of a culture-clash comedy, as Nino's wife, Marta, born and
raised in Milan, finds herself at odds with Nino's family and their customs.
From her look of bemusement upon discovering the family's best furniture located
outside on the terrace, to causing uproar by lighting up a cigarette after
believing the family meal to be over (in reality she had only completed the
appetizer), Marta cannot catch a break. With Nino's parents barely concealing
their dislike of her and openly admitting they find her to be "stuck
up" and a "snob," Lattuada ably demonstrates the class divide
between the poor South and the prosperous North of Italy. For her part Marta,
initially at least, finds Nino's family to be a backward lot, and has no time
for their loyalty to Don Vincenzo, who they all hold in such high regard, yet
who she sees as nothing more than a gangster. Her infuriation grows further upon
realizing Nino shares their love for the Don, dropping family activities at a
moment's notice should Don Vincenzo request an audience with him. All the while
Nino is trying to build bridges between his two families and cover the cracks
that are there for all to see.

Don Vincenzo's influence over the town is demonstrated early on in a
conversation between Nino and his father during a family meal. Playing catch-up,
Nino asks for the latest on his old friends, when he asks about his friend Filo
the table goes silent. "Dead?" Nino asks, "He dug his own
grave," his father replies. Marta, unaware of what this means, questions
this and learns that Filo had betrayed his friends, or as Nino's father puts it,
"Got into politics, bought himself a motorbike, and began showing off.
Screw him!" Nino immediately understands this and, upon meeting Filo
shortly afterwards, completely blanks him, as does everyone else. Allegiance
with the Don is paramount for those wishing to live in the town, failure to
comply resulting in social pariah status...or worse. Slowly but surely, the film
begins to reveal its more sinister underbelly.

Through a handful of meetings between himself and Nino, Don Vincenzo begins
to slowly exert his influence over Nino. Helping Nino and his family in a land
dispute, Don Vincenzo gets exactly what he is after when a grateful Nino
announces, "If you ever should need me, just say the word and I'm at your
command." A small, but telling look from the Don to one of his henchmen
hints at the size of the favor he will ask in return. Sure enough, the film
begins to take a new direction as Don Vincenzo, his men, and, startlingly, even
his own family begin to groom Nino for the role they have in mind for him.

Now, I'm sure there are many of you who will see Mafioso while
shopping for DVDs, read the blurb on the back of the case, notice that it's in
black-and-white and in Italian, with subtitles no less, and put it straight back
down. I mean it's going to be some pretentious drivel, isn't it? Well, to those
of you suspecting this, I'll let you in on a secret, throughout watching
Mafioso I was reminded of another film about a man taking his family on
holiday: National Lampoon's Vacation. Sure, Mafioso possesses a
darker edge and doesn't resort to some of the more lowbrow comedy employed by
the Griswold family, but the similarities are there for all to see. Some
similarities are actually startling; while their taxi stops by a funeral party,
Nino, excited to be back in his homeland, points out to his family who are not
used to such customs, that this is a way of paying respect to the deceased.
Showing compassion, Nino asks one of the mourners how the deceased had died:

Mourner: "Two bullets" Nino: (brief pause)
"Right...Let's go."

It almost perfectly mirrors the "Roll 'em up!" scene in
National Lampoon's Vacation. Nino's family also shares some traits with
the Griswolds' relatives; though none are quite as moronic as good old Eddie,
they are often just as bizarre.

The cast is, without exception, perfect. Norma Bengell as Nino's wife Marta
is given a difficult role, one that could easily come over as "stuck
up," as Nino's parents see her. Instead Bengell instills her with warmth;
we find ourselves seeing Nino's family through her eyes and mostly sharing her
bemusement. In a small but important role Ugo Attanasio, as Don Vincenzo,
displays great range, going from a kindly old man looking after his friends to a
cold, frightening villain when the need arises. The star of the show is Alberto
Sordi as the loveable Nino. His desperate attempts to keep everyone happy ensure
viewers take Nino to their hearts, even when the realization that the life he
left behind is perhaps not as idyllic as he remembered, his positive attitude is
resolute. Sordi's expressive face is able to raise a belly laugh one minute and,
in the film's shocking final scenes, sadness, pity, and fear, Nino is the heart
of the film, the viewer's emotions tied in directly with his own. Sordi's
excellent delivery means we go on the same roller coaster as Nino; come the
film's end we have been battered by a spectrum of emotions.

The disc offers a near-immaculate picture, almost completely dirt and
scratch free thanks to the restoration process, the 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer
perfectly captures the beauty of cinematographer Armando Nannuzzi's vision.
Detail remains high throughout and the image is consistently sharp. The monaural
soundtrack is also flawless, and though when compared to modern movies with 7.1
loss-less audio tracks it falls short, when considered in terms of its age it
scores highly.

Criterion has put together a decent selection of special features,
especially considering the film's relative lack of recognition. The highlight of
the set is an interview with director Alberto Lattuada from 1996. Also included
is a booklet containing essays on the film which prove to be as interesting than
the special features on the disc itself, if not more.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

There is no such thing as a perfect film, but to find fault with
Mafioso would be like arguing that the sky isn't the right shade of blue,
or that, The Blue Whale isn't big enough.

The only thing I can legitimately see anyone taking issue with, is the
film's final reel. The descent into much darker territory that has only been
hinted at previously is shocking and may be too much for some to accept.
Personally I loved it; it's a brave and stunning climax that completely blew me
away.

Closing Statement

The fact that this film has been overlooked for 46 years is truly a crime. As
a comedy, a family drama, and a crime movie it hits the mark every time.
Criterion has put out an excellent package that will hopefully bring this film
to the attention of a wide audience.

The Verdict

Not guilty -- and my verdict has nothing to do with the horse's head I found
in my bed this morning.